TO JOHN TAYLOR.1

MONTICELLO, November 26, 1799.

DEAR SIR, Mr. Wirt, who is of my neighborhood, offers himself a candidate for the clerkship of the House of Representatives, and being known to few of the members, his friends are naturally anxious that what may be said of him with truth should be said.2 I only fulfill a duty, therefore, when I bear testimony in this as I would in any other case. He has lived several years my near neighbor, having married the daughter of the late Dr. Gilmer. He is a person of real genius and information, one of the ablest at the bars in this part of the country, amiable and worthy in his private character, and in his republicanism most zealous and active. This information is given you in order that having equal knowledge of the other candidates you may be enabled to satisfy your own mind by choosing the best.

For some years past there has been a project on foot for making a more direct road across this State for those travelling between the North and South.

1

1 Printed from the original in the Washburn Collection of Autographs given to the Massachusetts Historical Society.-EDS.

1 William Wirt, the eminent lawyer, was born in Bladensburg, Md., Nov. 8, 1772, and died in Washington, D. C., Feb. 18, 1834. He began his legal career in Virginia, and in 1795 he was married to the daughter of Dr. George Gilmer. She died in 1799, and he removed to Richmond, and was elected Clerk of the House of Delegates. His legal knowledge, his eloquence, and his rare ability in argument placed him in the foremost rank of American lawyers. (See Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, vol. vi. pp. 578, 579.)—Eds.

It is only necessary to open it in parts, as there are already roads through a great proportion of the way. It is to lead from Georgetown by Stevensburg, Norman's ford, the Raccoon ford, Martin King's ford, the mouth of Slate River, to the High bridge on Appomattox, from whence the present roads southwardly suffice. It will shorten the line across this State probably fifty miles, is calculated on the precise object of avoiding all hills, but at the crossing of the principal watercourses, and will undoubtedly be the best road for the principal mail between the North and South. This matter will be before you this session, and will be worthy your attention.

Some schismatic appearances and other political circumstances will render it necessary for us perhaps to adapt our conduct to their improvement. But I cease from this time during the ensuing twelvemonth to write political letters, knowing that a campaign of slander is now to open upon me, and believing that the postmasters will lend their inquisitorial aid to fish out any new matter of slander they can to gratify the powers that be. I hope my friends will understand and approve the motives of my silence. Health, happiness, and affectionate salutations.

TO THOMAS MANN RANDOLPH.

February 4, 1800.

Yours of Jan. 18 never reached me till this day, so that it has loitered a week somewhere. Our post going out to-morrow morning, I hasten to answer it. My anxiety to get my lands rented is extreme. I readily agree, therefore, that Mr. Kerr shall take for five years, or say till Christmas, 1804, the oblong square field, and the one on the river next below the square field, comprehending the orchard; only that I should be very urgent he should take a complete field there; for I expect there is enough between the river and the road by old Hickman's settlement to make two fields of forty acres each, by cleaning up and straightening the skirts, perhaps by cutting down some slips on the margin. For so much as would be to clear I would take no rent the first year. He would then have the three fields in a line on the river, and three other fields would remain along the road to the triangle inclusive for another tenant. Observe I must have with him, as I have with Mr. Peyton, free passage along the roads; that is to say, along the road which used to be, and must be again, down the river side. All the conditions to be the same as with Mr. Peyton. I say I wish him to be pushed to the taking the one hundred and twenty acres; yet, rather than lose a tenant, I

would agree to the hundred acres, to wit, the oblong square and half the lower field. But you are sensible he would get by that means a great overproportion of cream, and therefore I wish to force on him the other half field.

Bonaparte's operations begin to wear a somewhat better aspect. It seems as if he meant a republic of some sort; therefore we are encouraged by the strength of his head to hope he calculates correctly how much superior is the glory of establishing a republic to that of wearing a crown. But still we must suspend our judgments a little longer. My first letter from Mr. Eppes gave me a little hope of the child's doing well. One received to-day announces its death. It appears, as we might expect, a severe affliction to both.

TO THOMAS MANN RANDOLPH.

PHILADELPHIA, March 4, 1800.

DEAR SIR, I wrote you last on the 17th of February. Since that I learn by a letter from Richmond that Martha is with her sister. My last letter from Eppington was of the 16th of Feb., when Maria was hoped to be in fair way of speedy recovery. The continuance of the non-intercourse law for another year, and the landing of our commissioners at Lisbon, have placed the opening of the French market (where at Bordeaux tobacco was

selling at twenty-five to twenty-seven dollars per cwt. Dec. 7) at such a distance that I thought it better to sell our tobacco at New York. Remsen had informed me in January that no more than six dollars could then be got for it, and it has been falling since; and Lieper offering to take it there at six dollars payable in sixty days, I struck with him; and thus ends this tragedy by which we have both lost so much. I observe Tarina advertised; how does that matter stand? There have been no new failures here or at New York, but at Baltimore very great ones weekly. We are entirely without news of the further proceedings at Paris. Bonaparte seems to be given up by almost everyone. The caucus election bill for President and VicePresident will certainly pass the Senate by the usual majority of 2 to 1; an amendment will be proposed to shew the sense of the minority. This may perhaps, however, be taken up by the other house with a better chance of success; in order to lessen the necessary loan, they put off building the 74's a year, which, with the saving by stopping enlistments, reduces the loan to three and one-half millions; but whether even that can be got at 8 per cent is very doubtful. Wheat is at $2.13 here, and is likely to be very high through the year, as Europe will want generally. I think I shall fix my price with Mr. Higginbotham at about the middle of April. I have not heard how it is at Richmond. Key's money was sent on to Richmond